Dreams of Tomorrow
by Angelforceus
Summary: Chapter 3 is here!! What would happen if Sephiroth met Aeris under different circumstances? How would this forever alter both his and Aeris' destiny? Well, read and find out! This will eventually turn into a Seph/Aeris fic. You've been warned!
1. Cold and Unwelcome Rooms

Disclaimer: If for some reason you think I own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters, you may be in need of mental help

Disclaimer: If for some reason you think I own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters, you may be in need of mental help. ^_^; [cough]

Author's Note: This is pretty much an AU fic, (alternate universe) and things may really get outta whack near the end…But we'll just have to wait and see about that, now won't we? ;-)

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Dreams of Tomorrow

Chapter 1

It was colder than usual. The heat system in his room must be broken again.

A young nine-year-old Sephiroth shivered, wrapping the poor excuse of a blanket around his already chilled body. What time was it? It would be nice if he had a clock around…But that was nothing more than wishful thinking. 

His cold, unwelcome room was nothing more than that. Sephiroth often found himself wondering what a _real_ room looked like. The kind of rooms that were inside those large, expensive mansions. Not to mention a more comfortable bed…

But no, he was locked in this…this chamber. This prison, really. He couldn't just get up and walk around outside freely. Well, he could, but not without a harsh scolding or even a beating. He just did what people told him to do. 

The young boy shifted slightly, still shivering from the cold temperature. 

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It **really** **is** cold. Maybe the entire building's heat is down. 

But he doubted that. One of the most powerful, wealthiest buildings in the world…without heat? Sephiroth smiled at the thought of it, despite himself. He could just imagine all the ShinRa employees complaining and whining about the sudden drop in temperature. And in the middle of winter, too. Maybe they'd have to wear those big, furry coats? 

Sephiroth stifled a laugh at the thought of the entire ShinRa building wearing fur coats. He'd give anything to see that.

The silver-haired boy let out a pathetic sigh, and finally decided to lay down and try to sleep. He'd have to wake up early in the morning, after all, so Hojo could run another test or two on him. Maybe even give him a few injections…

Sephiroth winced at the thought, and tried to push it out of his mind. Staring at the ceiling above, he wondered if by some chance he would ever get a break from all the testing and injections. Maybe someday he would escape from this place, and run away, never to return again. 

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Someday…

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When morning came, Sephiroth was sound asleep, curled up in fetal position on his lumpy bed. Sunlight spilled through a tiny, dirty window, and played on his face, desperately begging him to awaken. The young boy groaned slightly, and rolled over on his side, ignoring the light completely. Almost as if the sunlight was offended, it grew brighter and warmer. Sephiroth reluctantly opened his eyes, and blinked away the rest of his desire for sleep.

He sat up on the edge of the bed, feet dangling over the side. It would only be a matter of minutes before Hojo came in, and dragged him to the lab. Sephiroth had to be awake and ready; he didn't exactly like the idea of Hojo screaming in his ear to wake up in the morning.

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I wonder if that guy ever sleeps, Sephiroth narrowed his eyes instinctively at the thought of Hojo. _He always seems to be up and about…I've almost never seen him anywhere but his lab. That guy has no life…_

Minutes passed by. Those minutes soon accumulated and Sephiroth was becoming restless.

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Not that I'm complaining at the idea of missing another "test", but what the heck is going on?

Maybe Hojo had some other experiment to work on? Sephiroth certainly didn't mind that. Maybe then he would stop testing on him if he had other things to do.

Suddenly the door opened with a hiss. The silver-haired boy looked up, only to see one of his caretakers staring right back at him with her cold eyes.

"Hojo says that you won't be having any tests today. He has found another specimen which has already taken up most of his time."

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So I was right. He **did** have another "specimen" after all…No tests for today. The boy tried to suppress a smile, but couldn't if his life depended on it.

"But," the caretaker continued, looking annoyed for no apparent reason, "he also said that he _will_ make up for what he missed. So no need to get all excited."

"…So what am I supposed to do?" Sephiroth ventured.

"_You_ are supposed to stay in this room until told otherwise," came the dry reply. Abruptly, she spun on her heel, and headed back outside. "No breakfast today," she called back hastily. "Lunch and dinner will be brought to you at the proper time. Until then, I suggest you find a way to amuse yourself while you stay put," she added with finality in her tone. 

With that, she left. The cold metallic doors slid behind her with a silent hiss.

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…No breakfast? 

His stomach growled, furiously irritated with the idea. Well, he would just have to make do. Like always.

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"Mommy? Mommy…where are you?"

A small girl cried into the pillow of the room she had been literally thrown into. Her chestnut-brown hair fell over her tear-strained face, but she didn't feel like sweeping it out of her emerald eyes. She let the tears fall freely, her only wish was to be in the arms of her mother and to hear her soothing voice, telling her that everything would be all right.

But she could feel it…everything was not all right…

So she did the only thing she could. She cried. She cried until sleep finally took her away into a land of restless dreams…

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AN: Didja like? Yes, I know the chapter was short, but they'll get longer! I promise! R/R please! 


	2. Most-Likely Locked Doors...

Disclaimer:  This means that I don't own 'em

Disclaimer: ß This means that I don't own 'em.

Author's Note: Okay, I'm gonna try to make this chapter longer! Wish me luck! ^_^;; 

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Dreams of Tomorrow

Chapter 2

Sephiroth woke up the next morning an hour earlier than usual, only to hear murmuring voices outside his room.

"Professor?"

"Yes, what is it?" came the clearly irritated reply.

Sephiroth frowned…he knew that voice…

_Hojo…_

"Professor, we have the blood test results of the new specimen…"

"Yes, well?" Hojo asked, growing more impatient by the second.

"The test shows positive. She _is_ a Cetra, as is the mother."

Sephiroth could just feel the sick mirth that radiated from Hojo, even from inside his room. It disgusted him.

_A Cetra…? I've heard Hojo mumbling something about that…Wonder what's so exciting about the Cetra?_

"Yes, I knew it. Wonderful, wonderful," Hojo spoke. "Leave her in her room. I'll retrieve her when I need her."

"…And the mother?" asked the assistant, who sounded almost nervous.

"Keep her in my lab. I'm not through with her yet."

_What a sick man…_Sephiroth thought from the confines of his room.

"Yes, Professor," said the assistant, before walking away.

Much to Sephiroth's surprise, the doors in his room opened, exposing Hojo. The young boy instinctively sat up, with a strange look of both loathing and questioning. His Mako eyes glowed a little brighter than usual.

Sephiroth felt like saying "What do you want?" but he knew that he would only get slapped down if he tried. He kept quiet, but his eyes were much more efficient than words. 

Before the silver-haired child could react, Hojo marched up to him. Grabbing Sephiroth by his arm, he literally yanked the helpless boy out of the bed, leaving a mess of bed sheets hanging off edge of the mattress. Releasing his hold on the boy, Hojo turned back around and hastily began to walk out.

"On your feet, you good-for-nothing brat. I haven't got all day," he called back apathetically.

It took all the self-control Sephiroth could muster to halt himself from running up and giving Hojo a good punch in the stomach. Instead, he scrambled to his feet, pushing away his pride for the time being. 

"Idiot…" he mumbled under his breath, following Hojo out the door and into one of his precious labs.

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Sephiroth hated being tested, poked and prodded like some inanimate piece of flesh. The fact that there was nothing he could do about made him loathe it even more. He almost hated it more than Hojo himself. 

Almost.

It always started with the injections. Those were painful enough, and it bothered him that he didn't know what kind of fluid Hojo was putting in his system. It was apparently supposed to make him stronger, but to Sephiroth, all he felt were aching muscles. 

Hojo didn't ask him to sit this time, so he didn't. He stood there; leering at Hojo's back while he prepared the shot. 

_I can't wait until I get away from this place, _thought Sephiroth. _Maybe I can join SOLDIER and escape once and for all. Hojo couldn't touch me then. I wouldn't let him._

The young Sephiroth's glare soon transformed into a faint smile as he imagined what life away from the ShinRa building would be like. It was quickly wiped away when Hojo turned around, wielding a disturbingly large needle in his hand.

"Give me your arm," Hojo commanded, no emotion in his voice whatsoever. 

Sephiroth forced himself to hold out his right arm. He barely winced when he felt the needle roughly pierce into his skin. The young boy was determined to look straight ahead, glaring at nothing in particular. When it was finally over, Sephiroth heard something that surprised him.

"You're finished. Now get out."

Letting his arm fall to the side, he blinked as Hojo turned away and scribbled something down on a notepad. 

"_…_What? That's it?" the words escaped Sephiroth's mouth before he could stop them. He mentally scolded himself for asking such a stupid question.

"Yes, that's it," the scientist replied, the irritability back in his voice. "What? Did you want more?"

"No," came the quick reply.

"Then get out! I don't have time for you!"

Sephiroth tripped over himself walking out of the lab, he was so dumbfounded. When he was out in the empty hallway, he had the strangest blank look on his face.

_Okaaay…that was weird…Hojo must be really preoccupied with that "Cetra" girl…_

He stood there for a full minute, his mind trying to register all that had happened. A few employees walked past, eyeing him suspiciously. After all, he must've looked strange, standing there in the middle of the hallway, head titled to the side slightly. 

Sephiroth's eyes lit up when a precarious thought raced across his mind.

_So…does this mean I can walk around…by myself?_

Heck, why not? There weren't even any guards to escort him back to his room like usual, so he might as well take advantage of the situation. 

Striding down the hallway, he turned his head one way or another to take a peek into passing rooms. Most were empty and dark, and Sephiroth couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. 

_Why am I stuck on such a boring floor in this building?_ he thought helplessly.

Empty room.

Empty room.

Empty _and_ dark room.

Empty room.

Not-empty room.

…Huh?

Sephiroth came to a halt, almost falling over with the sudden loss of momentum. Curiosity got the best of him, and he glimpsed into the small window on the door.

There was a girl there, inside a much better room than his own, and sleeping peacefully on her bed. Her brown hair was strewn out on the pillow, and she looked like she had been crying. 

"What's this?" Sephiroth asked no one in particular. He had never seen this girl before; apparently she must be new. But why? Why was she here, in a ShinRa building of all places?

Suddenly, the words he had heard earlier this morning rushed back to him.

_"…Professor, we have the blood test results of the new specimen…The test shows positive. She is a Cetra, as is the mother…"_

The young boy blinked, still gazing through the small window on the door.

"_That's_ a Cetra?" he said, raising one quizzical eyebrow. "She doesn't seem so special…"

Sephiroth looked up and spotted a nameplate cheaply plastered on a wall next to the door. 

Specimen ID: 45-W

Aeris Gainsborough

"Aeris Gainsborough…" he read softly. Turning his attention back at window, he once again watched the girl as she slept. She looked so…lonely. It reminded him of the times when he was isolated in his own room…cold and detached.

_Why don't you go in there? _the faraway part of his mind spoke. _You could at least talk to her. After all, you know what it's like to be alone…_

No. That wasn't his problem. People live alone. They had to survive. That girl in there was no exception.

_Are you…afraid? _his thoughts spoke again, this time in mockery. 

Afraid? Of what? This…girl? Of course not! What reason did he have to be afraid? The door would most likely be locked, anyway.

Sephiroth rattled the doorknob recklessly, trying to prove himself right.

_Click…!_

A wide-eyed Sephiroth stood there and watched as the door swung open…

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AN: Yes, I know; cliffhanger. Mwhaha…I'm evil. :-P Expect an update in about two weeks! I'm leaving on a trip…To Japan!!! For two weeks!! That's good! I won't have access to my ff.net account! That's bad! [goes crazy!!!!]


	3. Confusion and Daggers...

Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own 'em

Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own 'em! Yeesh peoples!

Author's Note: Agh! I'm trying to squeeze in another chapter!! Ahhhhhh!!! [loses sanity]

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Dreams of Tomorrow

Chapter 3

The silver-haired boy stood as still as a statue while his mind debated over what he should do next.

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Okay, just quietly close the door and get outta here! the logical part of his brain screamed.

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No! Go in, go in! You were curious about that girl in the first place, weren't you? said the inquisitive other half.

"Great," Sephiroth commented dryly, finding himself glaring at the doorknob. "Just great."

He looked around to make sure no one was watching and boldly took a step into the room, ignoring his shrieking logical half of mind. He reached out a hand behind him, and attempted to slowly and quietly close the door. 

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…Squeeeeeeaak…

Sephiroth froze, realizing it was the metal hinges causing the high-pitched noise. A feeling of uneasiness swept over him.

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I feel like a criminal breaking into a room, he thought bitterly. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea…_

He took the time to look at his surroundings, seeming that it was the only thing he could decide to do at the moment. It was probably twice the size of his own room, and the heat actually _worked._ Strangely, there was carpet beneath his shoes; not the icy marble floors that he knew so well. His eyes fell upon two stuffed animals tossed in a quiet corner. How come he never got stuff like this? Sephiroth frowned, making an effort to mentally thrust away the feeling of jealousy, but failing miserably.

Quite unexpectedly, the door swung fully open and hit him right between the shoulder blades, causing him to stagger sideways and almost slam into the nearby wall.

"Ugh…" he managed, his mind a muddled mess for a few rare seconds. Sephiroth didn't even see the young woman who had just walked in, and she didn't seem to notice him either.

"Hello, Aeris. My name is Amy, and I'll be your caretaker. Is there anything I can-" she stopped, noticing that Aeris was still asleep, but mostly because of the shuffling noises coming from behind the door.

"…Sephiroth?!" he blonde-haired woman gasped, hastily pushing the door away from the distressed boy. She gently grabbed him by the shoulders and steadied him on his feet. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The boy shook away his puzzlement and looked up at the woman. Her voice was stern, but not threatening. _That_ was something new.

"I…uh…" 

"Don't you know how much trouble you'll be in if Professor Hojo caught you here?"

Sephiroth winced at the thought of being punished by Hojo.

"Go back to your room," she said softly, without giving Sephiroth a chance to answer.

The boy found himself being confused all over again. That was happening a lot, lately.

"…what? You're not gonna… tell him?"

The young woman stood up straight, regaining her composure as well as the authority in her voice.

"No harm done. The Professor doesn't need to know. Now, out," she urged delicately and pointed at the open door.

Sephiroth nodded and awkwardly stepped out, looking unsure of himself. Looking back only once, he closed the door behind him and retreated towards his own room, thanking whatever god there was he made it out without a scolding.

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Amy watched young Sephiroth leave through the small door-window, a small smile apparent on her features. When he was out of sight, she let out an exasperated sigh and solemnly shook her head. 

"…Who was that?" came a tiny voice from the other side of the room.

"Oh!" Amy turned around to face Aeris, sitting on the edge of the bed looking tired. Her emerald green eyes suggested weariness, and Amy felt a pang of pity for the young girl. 

"You're awake," the she said, stating the obvious.

Aeris nodded, ignoring the locks of hair sweeping her face. 

"Who was that?" she repeated.

"_That_, my young friend, is a little mischief-maker wandering the halls," she replied jokingly; she knew Sephiroth rarely broke the strict rules that were set for him.

Aeris gave a faint hint of a smile, then questioningly furrowed her brow. At least, the best an eight-year old _could_ furrow a brow. Amy smiled at that.

"Who are you…? And where's my mommy?" Little Aeris' eyes started to water with tears, and Amy thought she felt a dagger of sorrow pierce her heart.

"I'm Amy, your caretaker. You mother is… in a different room at the moment, Aeris," she retorted as calmly she could. She tried to ignore the guilty feeling pounding in the back of her conscience.

"W-will I get to see her?" Aeris asked, every word seeming to drip with fragile hope.

The young woman didn't know how to answer that question. She struggled to keep her poise, but it all fell to pieces when she looked at that innocent face and deep-green eyes.

"I...hope so, Aeris. I hope so. You…_might_ get the chance to see her." Amy thought that if she stretched the word "might" any more, it would snap back and slap her in the face.

"Do you promise?"

"I'm not certain that-"

"Promise me! Please!" Aeris looked like she was about to burst into tears, and most likely was.

"I…I promise," came the reposed reply.

Without warning, Aeris practically leapt off the bed and ran to Amy, embracing her in the biggest hug she could accomplish with her short arms. The little girl cried openly, no longer willing to hide the tears that were impatiently on the verge of falling.

Amy was…unsure of what do to. Confused, even. She had never met a girl like this before. This girl…Aeris…she was definitely different, but she wasn't quite sure how. She let the girl cry for a few silent moments, and finally, but gently, pulled her away.

"Hush…Don't cry, Aeris. I promised you would see her, right?"

Aeris sniffed and nodded, looking down at the carpeted floor.

"Then don't worry about it."

"Will…I get to see the others?"

"What do you mean?" She didn't understand what the "others" were.

"The other kids. Aren't other kids here?" she questioned in her miniature voice, looking her caretaker in the eyes.

"…No, not exactly." There was that dagger again…

"What about that boy? The one that was here in this room?"

"You mean Sephiroth? I don't think that he's allowed to visit you, Aeris," she returned carefully.

"Can I visit him?"

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No, access is a little restricted…

"I'll see what I can do," the words rolled off her tongue before she could stop them. Amy attempted to correct herself, saying something like "but I doubt I'd be able to" but stopped when she felt Aeris' arms wrap around her waist again.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Amy smiled and nodded, trying to say something before she made a promise that she couldn't keep, but she had a nagging feeling that it was a little too late…

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Sephiroth walked up to his room, and blinked at the closed doors. Unlike Aeris' room, you had to have some sort of access code to enter his room. 

That was something he didn't have at the moment.

"Oh, man…"

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AN: Sorry nothing much happened, but it was the best place to stop the chapter!! Really it was! Please don't kill me! O_o;; Anyways, I actually managed to add one more chapter before I leave. (Which is tomorrow at 4 A.M. -_-;;) Please R/R, and I'll update a soon as I get back! I promise!!!


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